It’s sad Awards are based on hype in Nigeria

Some have it all: youth, beauty, zest, brains, talent, name it and the Izuegbunem twin sisters, Chigozim and Chinweike, who go by the moniker Spicey Chisquare appear to just have it in a large dosage. Just barely out from the University of Benin and with the National Youth Service Corps still ahead of them, the TV presenters, singers, and promoters already have two lines of entertainment businesses: SPICEY for their music endeavours and the more widely-recognised CHISQUARE for their other non-singing entertainment business. The crooners of Aha and All For You who are gearing up to plunge into mainstream recognition speak to The Nation.

WHAT’S your style of music? Spicey’s music is a blend of Afropop/RnB laced with lush synth (for synthetic) arrangements, exciting bass drum patterns and soothing harmonies. With videos and more singles anticipated under CoucicEnt, Spicey is set to plunge into mainstream recognition.

Tell us about your foray into entertainment as a whole

Chisquare as a brand started off as music and entertainment presenters with the Independent Television Benin, hosting red carpet events and serving as judges of reality shows (Naija Sings, other talent shows and a couple of pageantries) in the South-south region. We also worked as promotion managers for various musical artistes in Nigeria under a media company COUCIC entertainment. We have contributed to the industry with various encounters we have had working with musicians and producers, making an impact in terms of vocal prowess, style, delivery and lyrical contents. Also, the kind of sound that we offer is imperative to the style of music which would move the music industry to the zenith.

Firstly, we began working as pro (promotional) managers in the South-south/east regions for Sunny Neji on his Off da hook album. While on it, we walked into a TV house, ITV Benin, to distribute materials when we met someone who took us directly to the Executive Director’s office. We did a brief introduction as to why we were at the station and right there on the spot, after a few conversations, we were handed the show “Take 22”. From that moment, the show became affixed to Chisquare and also “Girl’s Talk “on radio. It showcased musical videos as well as artiste profiling, interviews, etc. It aired on ITV Benin, Abuja and environs. The reason the show ended was simply because we needed to grow and also needed a better platform which we are currently working on alongside music. We have also done a few adverts involving both modelling and voice-overs.

Is music a passing phase or will you combine it with other careers?

We are goal-getters, talented, very creative, focused and would feel absolutely no stress in combining various aspects of entertainment with other things at the same time as we grow. We are open to challenges. We both studied Environmental Science. Nothing has and will affect that part of us as environmentalists. We aim to study further and hopefully run our own company someday.

Definitely, we will love to broaden our horizon by combining music with other jobs that revolve around entertainment which we consider a lot more effective.

When and how did you get into music?

The year 2006 was when it dawned on us that we had an attractive, unique and natural stage personality combined with proficiency on the job.

Our specialty as Spicey is our music and we also are part of a growing media company “COUCIC entertainment” which offers services ranging from promotion, distribution of materials for artistes, music and general business consultancy and event management.

Does the lack of professional instrumentalists in Nigeria not hamper your efforts?

Music in general has hugely evolved over the last few decades with the influence of pop on basic genres. This in turn is gradually obliterating the orthodox approach of full instrumentation/orchestration. However, the danger here is that our age is speedily giving birth to lazy musicians. Therefore, our opinion is that we pay more attention to the core of musicianship, encourage rudimentary music and mastery of the art in as much as fusion is the current trend. The American music industry doesn’t joke with this; even the rappers get to perform with live instruments as often as possible. We will work with what is available and try to improve or raise the performance bar.

What about the dearth of international record labels in the country?

Well, setting up indigenous (they actually called it “indie” which to me meant the American actor, Indiana Jones) record labels happens to be the most viable option for artistes nowadays as no one wants to keep waiting endlessly for a big label to push them.

The few “big” labels in Nigeria are doing decently well, but not enough of them to accommodate the tons of artistes. Marketing our music beyond the shores of Africa has never been a walk in the park as Alaba Market happens to be the major means of CD distribution; but thanks to new alliances being formed by our artistes and world-acclaimed stars (D’banj/Kanye West, Psquare/Akon etc.), it can only get better. The impact of the internet (social media, iTunes and all), have been immense too.

But must artistes be involved in selling their CDs?

It isn’t entirely true that all artistes in Nigeria are directly involved in selling their CDs (except if it is based on personal strategy). The only challenge is that a lot of money is involved when it comes to promoting and pushing materials to the target audience, hence the need of getting a marketer. The task is, however, easier for artistes who are signed under financially stable labels. But a lot of ripping off is on out there and that makes a lot of artistes to be directly involved in sales or at least to somehow monitor this aspect.

Do we really have a reliable data of various artistes’ CD sales?

This actually is an age-long saga. Unlike in the U.S where the billboard says it all, no one bothers to know what the true records of CD sales are and so too the impact an artiste has at the grassroots. Awards and recognitions are largely based on just media hype and on-line buzz; and this is sad.

Has show business clashed with your academics?

We never had any problems combining what we did/doing with academics. As God would have it, we both studied the same course as well as worked in the same field, so it was advantageous.

Conversely, has being entertainers helped you in anyway?

It has helped overwhelmingly. Being on the entertainment scene wasn’t detrimental to achieving success educationally. The support we got just because the public could recognise our faces has been tremendous and we are grateful to God for that.

Has your being twins helped too?

Oh yes, it is about the “twin factor” most times. It has opened a lot of doors faster than normal. It’s the same for other multiples out there; we are basking in the euphoria of being who we are – twins.